"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16 (New Living Translation)

Have you ever wondered why so many millions of people through the ages have chosen to become a Christian? What is it that they have discovered that has so profoundly changed the course of their lives and given them purpose and meaning? What does it actually mean to be a Christian in the first place? Perhaps you have discovered this web page for this very purpose. Read the article below to find out more.

Made by God, for God

Why am I here? What is the meaning of life?” These are questions that are asked every day by people from every walk of life and on every continent. Sadly, so many people live their entire lives without ever answering the question, “Why?”

Of course, we all want to be happy. We want to know that our lives have counted for something, so we search contentment and significance in many different ways. Some people chase positions, trying to find fulfilment through achievement. Others strive for possessions, trying to look for happiness by accumulating wealth. Still others live for pleasure, trying to find happiness by temporal means. But true and lasting happiness cannot be found in these ways because we were made for so much more. The Bible teaches us that we were made by God and for God.

Colossians 1:16 - For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

You have been designed by the Creator of the universe! You are not some cosmic accident, but somebody who has been fashioned by God and for God. He made you because He wanted to. He made you because He loves you and desires a relationship with you. He made you because He has a purpose and plan for your life.

How then do I find my purpose?

We find purpose, meaning and significance when we enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Sadly, we cannot find this relationship in our own human wisdom or strength. Our natural desire, after all, is to ignore God’s principles for living. The Bible calls this kind of attitude sin. Sin keeps us from being able to enjoy a relationship with God and has a direct bearing on every area of our lives. Sin is like a gulf that separates us from God, a gulf that we are unable to bridge in our own human strength. Even our best efforts will fall short of God’s standard of perfection, missing the mark every time. The truth is that we are incapable of restoring this relationship in our own strength for the simple reason that we are separated from God by sin and spiritually dead outside of Him.

Romans 3:23 (NLT) - For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

That is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, who is without sin, became our sin substitute. God placed the punishment for our sin on Jesus when He was crucified. In return, He offers us new life through the cross of Christ as a free gift of grace. It is not something we can work for – it is a gift that we need to accept.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is no other way to come into a right relationship with God since there is no other price for sin.

Acts 4:12 - There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

We thus find our purpose when we find a restored relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

So what exactly does it mean to become a Christian?

Becoming a Christian simply means accepting God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ and then choosing to follow Him. It means receiving a brand new life - a completely fresh start - and subsequently choosing to follow Christ’s example and lifestyle, becoming life-long learners and followers.

When we do this, something miraculous happens – we receive new spiritual life. God breathes new life into us and sends His Holy Spirit to open our understanding. He cancels our debt of our sin and declares us righteous through Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

How then do we respond?

Think of your response as ‘A, B, C…’

Admit that you need God in your life and ask Him to forgive your sins.

1 John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Believe that Jesus died for your sins and that He rose again so that you can be reconciled to God through Him.

Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Choose to receive Jesus Christ into your life and accept by faith God’s free gift of grace and new life in Him.

John 1:12-13 - But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

How can I respond to God’s invitation?

Take a moment to pray this simple prayer of commitment to God:

“Dear Jesus, thank you for making me and for loving me enough to die for my sins, becoming my sin substitute. Thank you that You rose from the grave to secure eternal life for me. I realise that I need You in my life. I am sorry for my sins. I ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me from all my wrongdoing. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and open my understanding to Your wonderful truths. Come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept Your gift of salvation by faith and I invite You to fulfil Your purposes in my life. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer sincerely from your heart, I want to congratulate you! I am so excited for you! You can have the assurance of some unchangeable and unshakeable truths:

Romans 10:13 - For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."

Hebrews 13:5b - For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

What Next?

Step 1: Read the Bible.

I want to encourage you to spend some time getting to know God’s Word.

If you have access to a Bible, I would encourage you to start by reading through the Gospel of John. If you do not have access to a Bible and are able to visit us at MEC on a Sunday, we would love to hear from you and arrange a copy for you. Simply fill out a Connection Card on your next visit and let us know about your recent decision to accept Christ, and we will be happy to present you with a free Study Bible.

As you take the step to integrate the Bible into your daily life, you will begin to realise just how relevant it is to your day-to-day life. God will use your time in the Bible to teach you about His truths and to draw you closer to Him. Just a few minutes a day in the Word will be an incredible blessing and benefit to you. Make this a daily habit.

Step 2: Learn to Pray.

When you become a Christian, you enter into a new relationship with God.

Galatians 4:5-7 - But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

The best way to build a relationship is to spend time talking to the person with whom you have a relationship. That is precisely what prayer is – talking to God; we speak to Him and He speaks to us. Here are a few tips to help you develop a strong prayer life:

Intentionally set aside time every day to pray. Make this a priority.

Speak to God naturally. You don’t have to use fancy language to impress Him. Speak to Him normally and naturally.

If you would like an example of what prayer looks like, read the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Use it as a model in the following way:

It begins with praise (verse 9). Begin by praising God and thanking Him for what He has done in your life.

Ask for His will to be done in and through you (verse 10).

Name any needs that you may have and ask God for His provision and help (verse 11). Tell Him about anything that is worrying you, or that you need help with. Pray for the needs of others around you and ask God to show you how you can make a difference in their lives.

Confess any sin that you may be struggling with and ask God to help you. Invite him to continue to direct and guide you in the way that you should go (verse 12, 13).

Now ask Him to speak to you. Listen for His prompting. Has God brought somebody to mind? Pray for them now. Has God brought a situation to mind? Pray about it now. Perhaps He will bring a Bible verse to mind. Spend time reflecting on what it says and ask God what He would have you do about it.

Finish by thank and praising Him.

Step 3: Join a Local Bible-based Church.

I would really encourage you to find a Bible-based church that will support your growth as a Christian. One of the best ways to grow and learn about God is to be around other people who share your passion. By becoming part of a local church, you will find fellow believers who will be able to encourage you in your daily walk and help you to stay connected and growing in your relationship with God.

It is also really helpful to join a small group within a church. These groups usually meet during the week and spend time fellowshipping, learning and serving together.

Hebrews 10:24-25 – Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Please feel free to visit our website at www.mecmalvern.org.uk to listen to online sermons, download sermon notes and other resources, and to find out more about our local church and ways we are serving God in our local community.

Step 4: Get Baptised.

Baptism is something Jesus invites each and every one of us to participate in.

Matthew 28:19, 20 - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It is both an act of obedience and a public declaration of our faith in Christ. It is something that was encouraged and practised by early believers, and continues throughout the world to this very day. We see an example of this in the book of Acts:

Acts 2:38, 39 - Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles--all who have been called by the Lord our God."

Baptism is symbolic in two ways:

It reveals what Jesus has done for you. He died for your sins, was buried and rose from the dead.

It reveals what has happened to you now that you have become a Christian and accepted Christ into your life.

Romans 6:3-4 - Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

When we are baptised, it symbolises this very truth – that the person we used to be has died and is buried with Christ, and that the new person, His new creation, has been raised with Him. We have come under new ownership!

We are not saved through baptism, but by being baptised we make a public confession that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, have died to our old, empty way of life and have been raised to a new life and purpose in Him.

Tell the pastor at your local church that you have made a decision to follow Christ and would like to find out more about baptism.

As we saw at the beginning of this study, we were made by God and for God. That means that we were made to worship Him. We worship corporately at church on a Sunday, but our daily lives are designed to be an act of worship.

When we live in a way that pleases God, we are worshipping Him. We bring pleasure to God when we love Him supremely, obey Him wholeheartedly, trust Him unreservedly, praise Him continually and serve Him passionately.

Whatever we do in word or deed, we should do diligently because we want to honour God with our lives. That is worship.

Colossians 3:16, 17 - Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Step 6: Share Your Story with Others.

Although I have listed this as step 6, it should be something that you do as soon as you can, and as often as you can. Telling others about what God has done in our lives is both a tremendous privilege and an incredible blessing. It honours God and brings great joy to His heart. It is also a way God works in the lives of others, helping them to discover the joy of new life and forgiveness in Him.

Take a few minutes to write down the story about how you have become a Christian. As you walk with the Lord, you will begin to realise how different your life is now that you have met God.

Write down briefly what your journey has looked like so far. Think about how you became a Christian, what steps you took, what life was like before you met God and how life has changed since you have met Him.

Share your story with others and pray that God will make Himself known to them just as He has to you. Invite others to come to church with you.

Take a moment now to write down your story on the following page and use these thoughts to form a short testimony that you can share with others:

My Testimony

What my life was like before I became a Christian:

How I became a Christian:

How my life has changed/is changing since becoming a Christian:

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read this document. You are a new creation on a new journey of eternal discovery!

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets.

May the Lord continue to bless you as you get to know Him and as you continue to grow in your relationship with Him and with other believers, and as you seek to serve Him.

Take a moment to reflect on the following Scriptures to understand just what God does in the life of a Christian:

I am God’s child. 1 John 1:12

I have been made right before God. Romans 5:1

I am a friend of Jesus. John 15:15

I have been redeemed and forgiven. Colossians 1:13-14

I have been bought at a great price and belong to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I have been chosen by God and adopted into His family. Ephesians 1:3-8

I can come boldly to God’s throne of grace for help in times of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

I am complete in Christ. Colossians 2:9-10

I am free of condemnation in Him. Romans 8:1-2

I cannot be separated from God’s love. Romans 8:31-39

I have been established and anointed by God. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

I am hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-4

I know that God will complete the good work He has begun in me. Philippians 1:6

I am a citizen of heaven. Philippians 3:20

God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of self-control (a sound mind). 2 Timothy 1:7

I am hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-4

I am God’s servant (minister). 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

I am God’s workmanship. Ephesians 2:10

I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

I can have assurance that God works all things together for my good. Romans 8:28

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